Padlocks are used in a variety of applications, including, for example, with enclosures such as lockers, storage sheds, and various gates and doors. A typical padlock includes a generally rectangular lock body having a generally U-shaped shackle extending from one end and a keyway disposed on an opposite end. When a proper key is inserted in the keyway, a key cylinder within the lock body may be rotated to disengage a locking mechanism from the shackle, allowing the shackle to slide out of the lock body until a short leg of the shackle is fully removed from the lock body, allowing removal of the lock from a hasp or other such portion of an enclosure to be locked.
One type of padlock includes a laminated lock body, in which a series of plates are secured together in a stack to define a lock body having internal cavities for receiving the shackle, the key cylinder, and the locking mechanism. These plates are commonly manufactured from a sheet or strip of material in which the plate is stamped or otherwise cut from a larger web or portion of the strip. Cutouts are formed in each plate (by stamping or other cutting operations) to define internal cavities of the lock body and/or openings for fasteners (such as rivets) for securing the plates together in a stack.
While such a technique may provide a cost efficient lock body for a padlock, the conventional laminated padlock may be subject to some cost, design, and security limitations. For example, excess material from which the lock body plates are stamped may result in additional manufacturing costs, particularly where the lock body has a non-rectangular horizontal cross section (such as a generally diamond shaped horizontal cross section, as is commonly used). These efficiency concerns may limit the shape and other external appearance characteristics of a laminated padlock. Also, exposed seams between the stacked plates may be subject to unauthorized attack or environmental corrosion or contamination, which may weaken, damage, or otherwise compromise the lock.